The present disclosure relates to a method and a device for assigning a blood plasma sample to a class from a predetermined set of classes, where the blood plasma sample is contained in an at least partially transparent vessel.
Blood samples are often used in order to be able to diagnose particular illnesses or, alternatively, in order to be able to detect criminal offences or infringements of regulations such as, for example, the consumption of drugs or driving under the influence of alcohol. Such a blood sample is typically introduced into a light-transparent vessel in the form of a plastic tube, such a tube being configured in a similar way to a test tube. In the tube, the sample is typically centrifuged before further analysis steps, so that a blood precipitate, in which all the cellular constituents of the blood sample are concentrated, is formed at the lower end of the tube. Above the blood precipitate, there is then typically blood plasma which essentially contains the liquid constituents of the blood sample. The blood plasma, which forms a blood plasma sample, is generally analyzed in subsequent analysis steps.
Often, before further analysis steps, it is expedient to carry out at least a rough determination of whether the blood plasma sample indicates a particular pathological state, or has particular features in another way. To this end, the blood plasma sample may be assigned to a class from a predetermined set of classes, such assignment generally being carried out manually. This is in particular because blood plasma samples are usually provided with extensive labels which indicate data such as the name of the patient or the date of the sampling. However, such labels prevent the transparency of the vessel from being utilized in order to carry out preliminary analysis of the blood plasma sample by optical methods.
Typical classes assigned to a blood plasma sample at the stage relevant here are, for example, a lipemic class, a hemolytic class, an icteric class and a good class. The “good” class contains those samples which are not assigned to the class lipemic, hemolytic or icteric.
When the sample is to be assigned to the lipemic class, it is a lipemic sample which has an elevated level of lipids. This may, for example, be an indication of a disorder of the fat metabolism.
When the sample is to be assigned to the hemolytic class, it is a hemolytic sample which has an elevated level of hemoglobin. This may, for example, be an indication of particular anemias, transfusion reactions or malaria.
When the blood plasma sample is to be assigned to the icteric class, it is an icteric sample which has an elevated level of bilirubin. This may, for example, be an indication of a disease of the liver.
There is a need for a device and method for assigning a blood plasma sample to a class of predetermined set of classes that allows automated assignment even in the case of labeled vessels.